This years-old 'trash panda' meme got a shout out in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'

In early 2014, Redditor CarlPeligro made a brief comment on a photo of a raccoon: "Raccoons = trash pandas."

The description stuck and the term "trash panda" has permeated across Reddit, Imgur, and Instagram alike, resulting in the creation of a subreddit devoted entirely to "trash pandas." But now the meme has really hit the mainstream.

In "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," Chris Pratt's character Peter Quill calls Rocket a "trash panda" after he protests being called a raccoon. When asked if "trash panda" is better or worse, Quill laughs and says, "it's so much worse."

For those unaware of this loveable raccoon nickname, you're in for a real treat. Let's dive into the weird world of "trash pandas."

A college student posted this one: "Trash Panda on the monorail."

Custom artwork has even started cropping up.

This baby "trash panda" was adopted by a Redditor's neighbor.

2guard/Imgur

Redditor /u/2Guard added background info in the comment section. "Maybe interesting to know: My neighbors got this little guy from a forest ranger who found him all alone in the woods. She nurtures wild animals and kept him for a few months."